


Blindsided (Part 1)

by thebluesthour



Series: Taegyu Oneshots for The Soul [13]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Fraternity, Angst, Confessions, Crushes, Established Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Oblivious Choi Beomgyu, Pining, Whipped Kang Taehyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:06:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28234386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour
Summary: Taehyun has a crush, and unfortunately Beomgyu is oblivious.
Relationships: Choi Beomgyu/Kang Taehyun, Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Series: Taegyu Oneshots for The Soul [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958551
Comments: 7
Kudos: 140





	Blindsided (Part 1)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! 
> 
> So sorry for the HUGE gap in posts for this series, my Yeonbin one is taking up so much time! I'm in the middle of a 12 days of Yeonbin fest, but it'll be a miracle if I actually post 12 fics. I've already skipped one...I'm posting a fic here tonight...but it's all good! I'm not one for formalities, so if I skip a few, that's okay! 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you're all enjoying my fics and are staying safe this holiday season! I appreciate your support so much! 
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Leave prompts [ here!](https://curiouscat.me/mapsoftheseouls)
> 
> Not edited.

Taehyun wanted to turn around. He actually went to do it, but Soobin’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. “Taehyunnie, come on, you can do this,” he encouraged. Taehyun sighed, gripping the wrapped present in his hands and blinking a few times. “I know I can, but maybe I just don’t want to,” he replied. Soobin stared at him, before leaning forward and knocking on the large oak door to the most popular fraternity on campus.

Taehyun took a deep breath, looking up at the hanging light fixture and briefly hoping it would fall on him so he didn’t have to confess his feelings to his long-time crush Choi Beomgyu. But he had been putting it off for way too long, and he was tired of pining. And Soobin was tired of hearing him pine, hence why he was there with him, to make sure he saw it through. And to see his boyfriend, who was a member of the same frat as Beomgyu. That’s how Taehyun had first met him, and he didn’t think anything of him for the first few interactions, but as he kept showing up to the same functions as Taehyun, a crush soon developed.

It was just, for all that Taehyun was wise and steady, Beomgyu was loud and spontaneous. Not all of the time, only when he had something he wanted to say. When he wasn’t shouting or screaming about something, he was pretty quiet, prone to daydreaming. It was endearing to Taehyun, whenever he would catch the elder staring off at nothing, deep in thought. He wondered what he was thinking about. He was attracted to his laugh, the way he always enthusiastically responded to Taehyun’s very specific brand of humour, and the gentle eye he invariably kept on him.

Taehyun had plenty of hyungs—except for Hueningkai, he was the youngest of his group—but Soobin and Yeonjun weren’t the same as Beomgyu. Sure, they protected and advised Taehyun when he needed it, but Taehyun craved someone who would indulge him on his adventures, who would protect him with strong hugs and warm kisses, who would let themselves be vulnerable in return so that Taehyun could take care of them back.

Whether or not Beomgyu was that person, Taehyun couldn’t be certain, but there had to be some merit to the fact that the boy had been on Taehyun’s mind consistently since early that year.

And now it was December, Taehyun had a perfectly wrapped luxury bag of dark coffee beans because he knew the boy loved coffee, and he was only kind of wanting to die.

It felt like an eternity before the door opened—it was most likely only a few seconds—and Taehyun did his best to keep his face as smooth as possible. He wasn’t intimidated by frat boys, but he tended to turn his nose up at them and these were Beomgyu’s closest friends. He couldn’t make a bad impression.

Thankfully, Yeonjun opened the door, and Soobin must not have told him they were stopping by because he gasped and smiled brightly at Soobin. “Baby! What are you doing here?” he asked, bounding forward and kissing his cheek. Taehyun looked away for a second as they greeted each other, and then he felt Soobin’s hand land on his shoulder.

“I drove Taehyunnie over so he could give Beomgyu-ah his Christmas present,” he explained. Taehyun smiled a bit as Yeonjun looked at him with wide eyes, before grinning and stepping aside. “By all means then, enter,” he said dramatically. “I’ll go grab Beomgyu, think he’s upstairs playing video games.” Taehyun bowed a bit in thanks and was once again grateful that Soobin was with him because he would’ve felt very uncomfortable standing in the foyer of a frat house alone.

Not as many frat brothers were there, since many had left early for the holidays, but there were still enough that Taehyun got a few weird looks. It wasn’t abnormal, Taehyun stuck out like a sore thumb but he was also taller than most so nobody really knew what to do about him. Most kept their mouth shut, but that didn’t mean Taehyun liked their judgemental stares. He was glad Beomgyu wasn’t like that.

He found himself holding his breath, and Soobin gave his back a few pats, leaning over to look him in the eye. “Relax, Taehyun-ah, he’s going to love the gift,” he reassured. Taehyun only nodded, and took a few deep breaths to try and ground himself. He was just giving Beomgyu a gift. Sure, there were implications, but nothing substantial had to happen tonight. This could just be a tiny first step.

Yeonjun returned then, flying down the stairs and straight into Soobin’s arms. Taehyun resisted rolling his eyes—the couple was very touchy, but maybe he was just jealous—and he felt his own heart pick up as Beomgyu came down the stairs next, albeit much more slowly. He had his nose buried in his phone, but when he looked up he caught Taehyun’s gaze and gave him a brilliant smile.

“Taehyunnie! What are you doing here?” he asked, putting his phone in his pocket and coming to a stop in front of the blonde. Soobin and Yeonjun had moved into the living room, preoccupied with themselves, and Taehyun felt the nerves set in again. He swallowed, before smiling as best he could. “I wanted to give you this,” he said, holding out the wrapped gift. Beomgyu’s eyes flickered down, before he grinned and took the gift in his hands.

He tore the wrappings apart and pulled the bag of coffee beans out, reading the label. His eyes widened, and he looked at Taehyun excitedly. “You got this for me? This is great, thank you!” he said, and he looked so beautiful it hurt. Taehyun could only nod, blushing a bit and shifting on his feet. “Merry Christmas, hyung,” he whispered.

Beomgyu beamed at him, before looking over his shoulder as some other frat boys came down from upstairs. Most departed towards the kitchen, but a few came to see what Beomgyu was up to, and Taehyun bit his lip. He had kind of been hoping the boy would give him a hug or something as thanks, but.

“You ready to go, hyung?” one of the boys asked. Taehyun blinked, not realising he had interrupted Beomgyu’s plans. Beomgyu nodded, turning back to briefly smile at Taehyun. “Thanks again, Taehyun, this is awesome!” he said, before dropping the coffee beans on the entry table and going off with his friends.

Taehyun stood there, a slight feeling of hurt washing over him as he side-stepped and watched Beomgyu and his friends leave without even acknowledging his presence. Beomgyu himself didn’t even turn around, and the fact that he had left Taehyun’s thoughtful gift on the entry table of all places made something inside Taehyun twist painfully.

He stood there awkwardly, wondering what had happened, when suddenly the front door opened and Beomgyu ran back in, out of breath. Taehyun’s eyes widened—had he come back for him?—but before he could ask Beomgyu if something was wrong, the boy screamed out for Yeonjun.

“Yeonjun-hyung!” he shrieked. Taehyun looked over as the pink-haired boy walked over, scowling in annoyance. Soobin followed close after, but he looked at Taehyun, and Taehyun looked away the second he detected worry on his hyung’s face. That didn’t stop Soobin from going and standing next to him though.

Yeonjun looked at Beomgyu, almost bored. “What?” he asked. His eyes flickered to Taehyun too, and he gave him a kind smile, but Taehyun felt that the one he gave in return was forced. He just felt off about everything now, and he kind of wanted to leave. Beomgyu obviously hadn’t picked up on the subtle message Taehyun had given him, and that was a lot more disappointing that Taehyun had anticipated.

“Do you have any extra condoms? I’m going to a party and I’m feeling lucky,” Beomgyu said, breaking through Taehyun’s thoughts.

Immediately, Taehyun’s blood went ice cold and he felt himself stiffen. A lump formed in his throat as the hurt intensified and electrified every nerve ending. He found it harder to breathe, and if it weren’t for Soobin’s firm hand on his shoulder, he might have fallen over.

He had never misread a situation so badly. He had really thought Beomgyu liked him back, had even thought he was going to make the first move, but Taehyun had been so wrong. Beomgyu didn’t like him, hell, he probably didn’t even consider him a friend. Because here he was, asking for _condoms_ right in front of Taehyun because he was “feeling lucky” and there was literally no thought of Taehyun running through his mind.

Taehyun felt the embarrassment next, and as he looked down at his shoes all he wanted to do was disappear. Soobin and Yeonjun both knew he had a crush on Beomgyu, and they had both encouraged him to act on his feelings. Was it possible they had misinterpreted too? Or was it all some sort of coordinated campaign to humiliate Taehyun?

He knew the latter wasn’t true, but his anxiety was very convincing. He swallowed his tears though, because he wasn’t about to have a breakdown in a frat house. He lifted his head, and the first thing he saw was Yeonjun shooting him a concerned glance, before he redirected his gaze at Beomgyu and morphed it into a glare. “Seriously, ‘Gyu?” he asked, and Taehyun’s eyes widened.

No, this is not what he wanted. He knew it came from a good place, but if Yeonjun or Soobin reacted negatively to Beomgyu’s seemingly innocent request, then he would know how Taehyun felt about him. And now, he wasn’t sure he wanted the elder to know. Not when he was so clearly uninterested.

Beomgyu blinked, furrowing his brow. “What? Do you not have any? I just figured I’d ask,” he said, but he trailed off as he saw Yeonjun’s glare growing colder and colder. He glanced at Soobin then, who gazed back calmly and emotionlessly. And then his eyes flickered to meet Taehyun’s.

And Taehyun must have looked worse than he thought, because Beomgyu’s entire expression dropped. A look of guilty confusion replaced it, and his lips parted but no words came out. He looked over at Yeonjun again, who was still glaring at him, before returning to look at Taehyun. But Taehyun couldn’t do it, he couldn’t look at him, so he lowered his head and let Soobin wrap an arm around his shoulders.

“I-,” Beomgyu started to say. Before he could get another word out though, Soobin pivoted and pulled Taehyun with him. “I’m gonna take Taehyun home,” he said, monotone. Taehyun kept his head lowered and let himself be led out of the frat house. Right before the door shut, he heard Yeonjun called Beomgyu an ‘oblivious fucking idiot’ and then nothing else.

Once he was sat in Soobin’s car, he let a few tears fall. He wiped them away quickly, but not before Soobin noticed. “It doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you, Hyunnie,” he said, an attempt at comfort. Taehyun snorted humourlessly, lifting his head and leaning back against the seat. “Pretty sure it does, hyung,” he mumbled, but he sounded so sad it made him tear up again. “How could I have been so stupid?”

Soobin reached over a placed his hand on Taehyun’s knee. “You’re not stupid. I honestly don’t know why Beomgyu is being so purposefully ignorant,” he said. Taehyun sighed, looking out the window as they drove. “Maybe he just doesn’t like me like that. Maybe I misread all of the signs,” he murmured.

It fell silent then, and Taehyun was grateful. He really didn’t want to talk about it. He just wanted to go home and take a shower and cry a little. And then he would wake up tomorrow and try to figure out what he was supposed to do now that the one person he wanted in his life very clearly did not want to be in his. At least not in the capacity that Taehyun craved.

Soobin made sure Taehyun got up into his apartment safely, gave him a comforting hug, and then left. Taehyun quietly took off his coat and shoes, and then walked towards his bedroom. Before he made it though, his turbulently adorable roommate Hueningkai appeared in his path, eyes wide and expectant. “How did it go?! Did he drop down and offer to suck your dick? Give me details!” he shrieked.

And Taehyun promptly burst into tears.

Kai instantly moved to him, worry decorating his angelic face, and when he held Taehyun against him he didn’t ask any questions. “Shit, hyung, I’m so sorry,” was all he said, and Taehyun was grateful. He didn’t want to explain anything, and Kai understood that.

He let him go after a few minutes, and Taehyun sniffled, wiping his eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled. Kai shook his head, giving Taehyun another hug. “You go take a shower, and I’ll make us some ramyeon and we can watch that god awful k-drama you love so much, okay?” he suggested. It did pull a smile out of Taehyun, and he figured a distraction could be nice, so he agreed to it.

Halfway through the second season of the k-drama, Taehyun heard a knock on the door. Kai looked up from his pile of plushies, before pushing them aside and standing. “I’ll get it,” he said, and Taehyun knew he was wary of who could be on the other side of the door. He peeked over the top of the couch, unable to ignore his curiosity. He also felt a lot of fear, so he kept his head low enough that only his eyes showed.

Kai opened the door, but he was so tall that Taehyun had trouble seeing who was there. However, his ears had no obstacles and so he could distinctly hear the tremor of Beomgyu’s voice quietly asking if he, Taehyun, was home.

“He is, but I’m not particularly inclined to let you in, Beomgyu-ssi,” Kai said, crossing his arms. He wasn’t intimidating in the slightest, but it was so strange to hear him speak so seriously that it made up the difference. Taehyun bent his head a little and he saw Beomgyu. He looked distressed, wrapped up in a scarf and beanie. He looked rather adorable, but Taehyun still felt so hurt that it didn’t mean much anymore.

Beomgyu opened his mouth to reply to Kai, but then his gaze shifted, and he met Taehyun’s eyes. Taehyun gasped quietly and immediately ducked, hiding behind the couch cushions pathetically. “Taehyun-ah? Taehyun, can I please talk to you?” Beomgyu called. Taehyun blinked, breath coming in short gasps, and he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He didn’t want to talk to Beomgyu. He wasn’t ready to hear his explanation, no matter how kind it was.

Kai seemed to know this, and ushered Beomgyu out with only a little bit of attitude. Beomgyu said something, but the door shut before he could finish. As soon as it did, Taehyun sat up a little, sighing as he felt the pathetic guilt wash over him. Kai sat down next to him, a sympathetic look on his face. “I’m really sorry, hyung,” he whispered. Taehyun looked at him and smiled weakly. “Don’t apologise, Hyuka. I think I’m just going to go to bed, okay?”

The younger nodded as Taehyun stood up, and he walked to his bedroom without really thinking about it. He brushed his teeth robotically and changed into comfier clothes and was lying horizontally in bed before he knew it. He closed his eyes, exhausted from the emotional toll of the evening, and fell asleep.

The next morning, Taehyun woke up to Soobin and Yeonjun in his kitchen, eating breakfast that Kai had cooked. As soon as he walked out, half-asleep and looking like death, Yeonjun got up and hugged him. “Beomgyu is an ass, I’m so sorry,” he said, though his words were a bit muffled because of how tightly he was pressing Taehyun against his chest. Taehyun knew he was just being a good eldest hyung, but he needed to breathe.

He patted Yeonjun’s back and pulled away enough that Yeonjun released him and sat back down. Soobin just gave him a gentle smile, and Taehyun covered his mouth as he yawned and looked at what Kai had prepared. The boy himself rubbed Taehyun’s tummy a few times before handing him a plate full of food. Taehyun thanked him quietly, and then carried his plate to the table. He sat down and managed to eat a few bites before a knock came at the door.

It was the exact same knock as the night before, and Kai and Taehyun met eyes as soon as they heard it. “He did not come back again,” Kai said, immediately scowling and throwing his apron down. Taehyun’s eyes widened as the boy started to march towards the door, and he stood up without thinking about it. “Hyuka! Stop, I’ll tell him to go,” he cried out, running his hands through his hair once to tame it. He really didn’t look his best, but he supposed he had no reason to impress Beomgyu anymore.

Kai seemed heavily reluctant to let Taehyun answer, but one look from Yeonjun and Soobin and he acquiesced. He didn’t stray too far though, lingering in the hallway to keep an eye on things. Yeonjun and Soobin stayed where they were, but Taehyun could feel their eyes too. It actually made him feel better, having the support of his friends.

He steeled himself, and opened the door.

Beomgyu stood there, dressed in the same scarf and beanie, but with a different coat. His eyes popped in shock as he realised Taehyun himself had answered the door, and Taehyun only waited a few seconds before speaking. He kept his voice level, but he couldn’t glare at Beomgyu. He just couldn’t. The remaining feelings he had for him wouldn’t allow it. “Please go, hyung. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable by getting you a gift, it wasn’t my intention.”

He couldn’t look at Beomgyu, so he looked at his socked feet, his bare calves starting to get a little cold from the freezing air coming in front outside. Beomgyu stayed silent for a moment, before speaking very softly and gently. “Let me apologise, and then I’ll go, I promise,” he said.

Taehyun exhaled, lifting his head and meeting Beomgyu’s eyes. They were pained, dark and glistening, and he had never seen the boy look so guilty before. It seemed genuine, and Taehyun’s resolve started to crack a little. He gave a slight nod, but then saw as Beomgyu’s eyes moved to look behind him. His adam’s apple bobbed anxiously, and Taehyun knew the others were glaring daggers at him. So he stepped forward—causing Beomgyu to step back automatically—and shut the door behind him. He crossed his arms then, the thin white shirt he had on doing nothing to protect him from the cold.

“Go ahead, before I freeze,” he prompted, looking down again.

Beomgyu shuffled, before stepping closer. Taehyun peeked up at him through his lashes, and saw that his head was bowed too.

“I didn’t mean to humiliate you last night and I’m so sorry,” he began, and he sounded sincerely regretful. “Yeonjun-hyung put me through the ringer and made me realise a lot of things I hadn’t even noticed before. And I’m sorry that I didn’t notice, because I can’t imagine how I must have made you feel.”

Taehyun couldn’t help it, he looked at Beomgyu, and was surprised to see a slight sheen of tears in his eyes. He had never seen the boy this vulnerable before, it was an entirely new side to him. It was oddly refreshing, despite the unfortunate circumstances. The elder continued, and Taehyun took a step closer.

“I’m different around you, Taehyunnie. You bring out parts of me that I don’t even recognise, and that’s scary but also something I want to explore further,” Beomgyu continued, keeping his eyes trained on Taehyun’s. “I know this probably seems too convenient, but I like you. I think you’re beautiful, and I want to get the chance to show you that I’m more than what you saw last night. I want to be that person that you…that you have feelings for.”

Taehyun felt his cheeks heat up at that, and he looked down, arms crossing tightly over his chest both from the cold and from the overwhelming emotions he felt. The strongest one was desire, but the second strongest was confusion. He didn’t know what to do next. Was Beomgyu being serious? Or did he just know Taehyun liked him and was now trying to take advantage?

He couldn’t be sure, of course, but as he looked back up at Beomgyu, he couldn’t help but feel a pull from deep within. Something telling him that he was telling the truth, and to give him a chance to prove it.

And Taehyun wasn’t one to hold a grudge. He knew that he would have his friends if things ended badly again, but for some reason he had a feeling they wouldn’t. He chewed on his lip for a second, feeling Beomgyu’s anxious eyes on him, and then he nodded. “Okay, hyung.”

Beomgyu’s jaw dropped, as if he hadn’t expected Taehyun to offer the second chance, and Taehyun stared up at him. “I’m really cold, though, so can we start over tomorrow?” he asked. He briefly considered inviting the elder in for breakfast, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. Not to mention his friends would literally attack.

Beomgyu nodded, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes. “Yes, of course. I can pick you up at seven?” Taehyun blushed, before he agreed with a nod. The elder hesitated, before suddenly lifting a hand to brush his fingers over Taehyun’s cheek. It sent an electric current through Taehyun and he blushed even more despite himself. “I can’t wait,” Beomgyu whispered.

And then he was leaving, jogging down the steps and to his car, and Taehyun stood there for a moment, before going back inside to retell what had just happened to his best friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, there will be a part two. When? I have no idea. Hopefully soon!


End file.
